Foundation garment



P 1951 P. J. MORANO FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15,1947 Sept. 4, 1951 P. J. MORANO FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Oct. 15, 1947 Im'euta- Patrick J. Morano Patented Sept. 4, 1 951FOUNDATION GARMENT Patrick J. Morano, New York, N. Y., asslgnor toEven-Pill Foundations, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication October 13, 1947, Serial No. 779,612

' 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to foundation garments of the combined girdle orcorset and brassiere type, wherein the front lower or band portion ofthe brassiere is separate from and overlaps the upper front portion ofthe girdle or corset-forming body so that said portions may haverelative vertical movement as required when the wearer assumes differentpostures.

The wearer of an ordinary garment of the above kind is subjected todiscomfort, due to pinching of the skin between the overlapping frontportions of the garment. An object of the present invention, therefore,is to overcome this objection by providing the front band portion of thebrassiere with an under-belt that extends downwardly past the upper edgeof and under the upper front portion of the body. This belt has theintermediate portion of its upper edge secured to the intermediateportionof the upper edge of the front band portion of the brassiere sothat the skin of the wearer can not enter be tween and become pinched bysaid band portion and the upper front portion of the body. Also, theunder belt is elastic in a horizontal direction and acts as adiaphragm-constricting element.

The body may be open from too to bottom midway between the sidesthereof, and the ed es of the body along the opening may be connected bya lacing or the like so as to provide adjustment as to girth for properconstriction of the body and hips of the wearer. In order to preventdiscomfort to the wearer by contact of the lacing and the eyeletstherefor with the wearers skin, a pleat strip is disposed across andunder the lac- 1 lug substantially from top to bottom of the body,

said pleat strip having its side edges secured to the body at oppositesides of the opening.

The back of the garment may be of unitary construction and forms theback portions of the brassiere and the body. the back portion of thebrassire preferably having a V-shaned horizom tally yieldable elasticgore at the top and center thereof, and the front and back portions ofthe body and the front band portion of the brassiere having similaryieldable gores that extend from top to bottom thereof. Under each sideof the front of the body is a horizontally yieldable elasticconstricting belt that is secured at its side edges to the body andextends from near the to to a point shortly above the bottom of sa dbody.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as other objects andfeatures thereof, will become apparent from the following descriptionwhen considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi ure 1 is a front elevational view of a foundation garment constructedin accordance with the present invention and shown as it appears when inuse;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken On the line 2--2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the garment taken on the plane of theline 33 of Figure 2 and drawn on the smaller scale of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 4-4of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlargedfragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 3; and,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, looking toward the back of thegarment.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates the brassiere, and 5the girdle or corset-forming body of the garment. As indicated at l, thegarment may be open at one side from top to bottom thereof, the edgesalong this side opening being detachab-ly connected by hook and eye orlike fasteners as generally indicated at 8 in Figure 2 However, as isconventional in the art, the side opening need only extend from top tobottom of the brassiere, the body 5 being of th closed or step-in type.

The brassire includes a front having an upper portion composed of breastpockets 9 joined at It! along adjacent side edges, and a lower or bandportion B joined at its upper edge to the lower edges of the breastpockets 9 as at H and composed of a central inelastic panel l2, narrowinelastic side panels i3, and horizontally yieldable elastic gores I 4interposed between the panel l2 and the panels l3 and extending from topto bottom of the lower or band portion.

The body 6 includes a front portion which may be open from top to bottommidway between the sides thereof and therefore composed of two sectionswhose adjacent edges are provided with eyelets i5 and are adjustablyconnected by lacing i6 threaded through said eyelets. Each of thesections of the front body portion consists of in elastic panels I! andI8 and a horizontally yieldable elastic gore I9 interposed between thepanels IT and I8 and extending from top to bottom of the section. Eachpanel I! has a horizontally yieldable elastic substantially V-shapedgore 2!) in the lower portion thereof. The adjacent edge portions of thepanels Il may be provided with suitable stiffening stays as indicated at2! in Figures 2 and 4.

The garment shown also includes inelastic side panels 22 and a unitaryback 23 that respectively form the sides and backs of both the brassiereand the body 6. One side panel 22 is joined along its front edge to theouter side edges of the ad- Jacent panels l3 and I 8 and the adjacentbreast pockets 9, and both side panels 22 are joined at their rear edgesto the side edges of the back 23 as clearly shown in Figure 2, thedetachable connection at I, 8 being provided between the front edge ofthe other side panel 22 and the adjacent outer edges of the other breastpocket 9, panel l3 and panel l8.

The back 23, as before stated, forms the backs of the brassire and body6, and it includes a 3 relatively wide central inelastic panel 24 thatmay be provided with suitable stiffening stays 25, and horizontallyyieldable elastic gores 26 connecting the side edges of the panel 24with:

the rear vertical edges of the side panels 22 and extending from thebottom of the back to the top of the lower portion of the latter whichforms the back of the body 6 or to the bottom of the 1 upper portion ofsaid back which forms the back of the brassiere. The upper portion ofthe back has a V-shaped horizontally yieldable elastic gore v thefasteners indicated at 8.

i is then donned with the vertical edges of the garment connected at oneside as indicated at l by This places the lower front band portion andthe under belt of the brassire under tension. The lacing I 6 is i thentightened until the body 6 is placed under 21 at the top and centerthereof. Suitable shoul der straps 28 are connected to the highestpoints of the breast pockets and to upward extensions 28of theback 23.

It will be noted from Figure 5 that the front lower band portion of thebrassire is separate from and overlaps the upper front portion of thebody 6, so that said portions may have relative vertical movement asrequired when the wearer assumes different postures. Separating movementof these portions ma be yieldingly resisted by means of an elasticloopZQ depending from the bottom and center of the front band portion ofthe brassire and having a hook 39 on its lower end engageable with the,lacin IS, with the loop 29 under slight tension.

In orderto preve ntdiscomfort to the wearer by contact of the lacing itand eyelets IEWith the wearers skin, a pleat strip 3] 'is disposedacross and. under the lacing substantially from top to bottom of thebody 6, said pleat strip having its side edges secured to thefrontbodysections at opposite sides of the front opening or the body as at 32.'In'practice, the lacing I6 is always in place, but is usually loosenedbefore removing the garment or before donning the same.

The front band portion of the brassiere is provided with an under belt Uthat extends above and below the upper edge of and under the upper frontportion of the body 5 and that is attached at its ends or side edges tothe ends or side edges the desired tension, after which the hosesupporters are connected to the hose. The garment then properly,constrlcts the diaphragm, waist portion and'hipsof the wearer, althoughyielding and permitting freedom of movement as the wearer'assumesdifferent postures. From the foregoin description, it is believed thatthe construction and advantages ofthe present invention will be readilyunderstoodand appreciated by those skilled inthe art. 'Minor changes indetail of construction illustrated and described, are contemplated, Suchas fairly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. For

instance, the body of the garment may be laced at the back instead of atthe front, or a slide fastener of the'zipper type may be used i.n steadof lacing.

' Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: V Afoundation garment comprisinga bras' sier' and a girdle or like bodyconnected thereto, said brassiere having a, horizontally yieldablepartially'elastic' front lower band portion which is separate from andoverlaps the upper front portion of said body outwardly of the latter,and a horizontally yieldable partially elastic under Fdiaphragm-constricting belt for said band porof said front band portionas indicated at 33 in Figures 3 and 4, said belt including a relativ'elywide central inelastic panel 34, narrow in elastic side panels 35, andhorizontally yieldable elastic gores 56 that connect the panel 34 withthe panels 35. The upper edge of the central panel 34 is secured to theadjacent lower edge portion of the breast pockets 5 and to the adjacentupper edge portion of the front band portion of the brassiere' asindicated by the lead line is secured at its side edges to the panels 35ad--v jacent the side edges of the front bod sections as indicated at31., Each of these constricting belts consists of inelastic panels 38and 39 connectedby a horizontally yieldable elastic gore 40 that extendsfromtop to bottom of the body constricting belt. The panels 33 may beprovided with suitable stiffening stays ii. Suitable hose supporters arealso provided having one end connected to the bottoms of the panels Hand the other end connected to depending extensions 43 of the panels 38respectively forming part of the front body portion and the bodyrestricting belts. It will also be apparent that the under tionextending above and below the upper'edge of and under the upper frontportion of the body, the front portion of said body bein open'fro'm topto bottom midway betweenthe sides thereof, lacing connecting the edgesof the front'bo'dy sections along said front openin of the body,

and a pleat strip disposed across and 'under the lacing substantiallyfrom topto bottom of the body, said pleatstrip having its side edgessecured to the "front body sections atopposite sides of the frontopening, each front body section including inelastic panels connected byhori zontally yieldable elastic gores extending from top to bottom ofsaid sections, and a horizontally yieldable elastic body constrictingbelt under each front body section, each body constricting belt beingsecured at its side edges to the side edges of the associated front bodysection and extend ing from near the top of the body section to a pointshortly above the bottom of said associated front body section, thediaphragm constricting belt extending under and below the upper portionsof said body constricting belts. a

' PATRICK J.MORANO.

REFERENCES CITED V The following references are'of record in'the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

